Dancing with Shadows
by BloodScorpion
Summary: Harry changed when he disappeared for those forty-eight hours at the beginning of the term. For better or for worse is yet to be determined. HHr


Dancing with Shadows

Chapter One – Bites of Life and Destiny

The night was very cool for being the first night of September. The Hogwarts Express had just pulled into the Hogsmeade station and currently all seven years of students that attended Hogwarts were exiting the train all at the same time. A very unsuccessful way to get off a train to any person who could think properly. Of course, the students were mostly only thinking with their stomachs from the long train ride while a spare few were trying to yell at each other in order to have a conversation. Also, a very unsuccessful way to communicate in a crowd was to yell across it.

Two students who thought properly were currently still on the train and waiting for the crowds to thin somewhat in order to get to the carriages. One being, Hermione Granger, a sixth year Gryffindor prefect and smartest girl of her year. The other was a sullen boy, also a sixth year Gryffindor, but not prefect; his hair ebony and unruly, his eyes emerald, but without a sparkle or inkling of life within them. Neither student knew the other was on the train still.

Likewise, two figures stood within the shadows of the Forbidden Forest looking down at the train station. Two figures who held themselves proudly as if of royal blood. Both were prim and proper and dressed to the point which it was evident that they had money to back themselves. Their eyes, however, gave them away to something much more, much more feral than royalty or anyone with money should be. Together, while looking down at the train station and not having found what they were looking for, started chanting in an unknown dialect known to mortal man.

The boy, he could hear something over the loud and impatient crowd that meandered past his window toward the carriages. Briefly he saw Hermione Granger walk past his window with a worried look on her face as she appeared to be searching for something or someone. Also the sullen boy briefly wondered how no one could hear that something, that person calling for help.

He bolted out of his compartment, the train, and up the hill towards the Forbidden Forest where the person calling for help could be heard coming from.

The Great Hall, as it was every year, was filled to the brim with students and chatter. The sorting had just ended and food was on the table. Students were talking with each wondering how each other's summer was and what happened during it. All seemed to be well within the confines of the Great Hall, until all of the sixth year Gryffindors noticed one of their members was missing. The news spread throughout the Gryffindor table fast and then to the other three houses' tables.

The professors looked up when the noise of the room dropped enough to be noticeable. They looked towards the most frantic table to see fear on the students' faces. Nothing could be seen wrong with the table, its occupants, or the food until Professor Flitwick noticed the sixth year Gryffindor gone or missing. Silent communication was spoken through the professors before Professor Snape and Hagrid got up and exited the Great Hall.

All was no longer well within the confines of the Great Hall.

It had been a trick and he realized it too late. The only good the thing of the situation was that his two assailants didn't appear to be Death Eaters, not enough black robes and too much expensive robes. He looked at the two with unbridled fury and defiance in his eyes, but it did little good since he was not in any position to defend himself or attack. He was at their mercy. The two finished conversing with each other and turned towards the boy laying on the ground only to knock him unconscious and drag him away to an unknown location within the Forbidden Forest.

Harry woke up sometime later unsure of how much time had passed. It appeared to be dark out from inside the cave he was located in. The two people that had captured him were sitting off to the side of the cave with a fire in between them, unmoving and non-talking. The man with amber eyes turned his head toward Harry and then nodded toward his partner. The other with black eyes turned his head toward him.

Harry looked them both in the eyes in defiance, but moved back against the stone wall more. In their eyes Harry could see pity, one of the things he hated most. But there were other things in their eyes, such as excitement and sadness. Soundlessly, they both moved toward Harry, the last thing he remembered was great pain in his neck and then nothing more as he passed out.

When Harry would awake next, it would be two days later and he would be alone, his two assailants gone.

It was the end of the second day of classes for students and professors at Hogwarts. Most, if not all, of the population of Hogwarts were worried about the Boy Who Lived and his whereabouts. The Order of the Phoenix was even more worried as he was their charge and savior of the world from Lord Voldemort. They had searched high and low for Mr. Potter recruiting all of their members into the search, but had come up empty handed.

No body noticed, not even the professors, a person walk into Hogwarts staggering slightly until he had passed by and gone up the stairs towards the Hospital Wing. The person tripped over a chair within the Hospital Wing that caused a ruckus in the silent room to bring out the nurse, Madam Pomfrey. She gasped at the blood cakes robes and body before shifting into her professional nurse mode and levitated the stranger on to the nearest bed.

She gasped again as she started to administer potions to help heal the young man. On his forehead was a lighting bolt shaped scar. He was back, but it looked like he was been through a battle. She continued to administer healing potions until she was satisfied he was stable enough to be left alone while she went and got the Headmaster.

The Headmaster and nurse rushed to the Hospital Wing to find the once missing young man sleeping in the bed the nurse had left him in. The only thing that seemed to be wrong with him was his pallid coloring.

Harry woke up early the next morning just after dawn due to a light beam on his face, a very hot light beam that felt like it was burning him. Harry ignored it until it felt hotter and a bigger burning sensation filled his face and senses, he yelped and twisted out of his bed onto the hard floor where the sunbeam couldn't get him.

Madam Pomfrey came bustling out of her office at the sound of the crash to find her only charge lying on the ground. She reached towards the boy to help him up off the ground, but Harry shook the hand off of his arm. He needed to get away from the light which was hard considering the greater portion of the Hospital Wing was covered in it.

Madam Pomfrey grabbed Harry again and this time forcibly set him on the bed where he stayed but shied away from the light beams on the bed. She looked mildly concerned at Harry's behavior of a trapped wild animal, but continued with her duties and checked Harry over to see what other healing needed to be done.

"My Mr. Potter, not even Quidditch season yet and you're already in the Hospital Wing. What am I going to do with you?" Madam Pomfrey tried to make light of the situation, but it did not work.

"Why?" Harry asked turning a confused look to Madam Pomfrey.

"Why what Mr. Potter?"

"Why am I here? How did I get here? What happened? How long have I been here?" Harry asked in rapid succession.

"You don't remember?" Harry shook his head. "You came in here last night, which was the second day of classes, all bloody as if you had just come from a fight or a duel." Harry looked even more confused. "Don't worry Mr. Potter, you're all fixed up even though it didn't take very long." Madam Pomfrey said the last part more to herself and a little worriedly.

Nothing more was said as Harry was given a clean bill of health, dressed, and exited out of the Hospital Wing all the while avoiding any and all sunlight beams.


End file.
